adminKamangeni Phiri Midlands Bureau Chief
MILITARY attaches accredited to Zimbabwe have endorsed the country’s economic turnaround programmes and described the economy as functional. The military attaches, who included representatives from South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, the United States of America and Belgium, said Zimbabwe’s military was also a good partner in promoting regional and international peace through participating in peace-keeping missions and joint military operations.
Speaking during a tour of the Zimbabwe Military Academy yesterday through the head of Foreign Military Association delegation, Brigadier-General Victor Malikebu of Malawi, the diplomats said Zimbabwe was heading in the right direction.
Said Brig-Gen Malikebu: “In our view, Zimbabwe is developing. Some of us have been here for four years now and we have witnessed change for the better. The country is moving in the right direction. We have toured some mining, manufacturing and tourism industries. What has impressed us is that the mining sector, especially, is functioning and is in the hands of Zimbabweans.”
The more than 30-member delegation is on a week-long tour of the country’s military establishments, mining and manufacturing sectors as well as tourist destinations, among other areas.
So far the team has visited Zimplats, Zimasco and the ZMA. They were also expected to visit Bata Shoe Company, Unki Mines in Shurugwi and the Military Museum in Gweru before wrapping up their programme on Friday.
“Zimbabwe is heading in the right direction. Industry is growing. Coming to the army, ZDF remains a reliable partner. We have taken peace-keeping mission assignments together as a region in the past. Zimbabwe’s military has done a lot. The country has foreign students from the region. We, however, feel they should also have their own students participating in training programmes from other Sadc countries like Malawi,” said Brig-Gen Malikebu.
The Belgian Military Attaché to South Africa, Colonel Claude Van Der Donckt, said his country was generally impressed by Zimbabwe’s leadership. He said: “It is always a pleasure to be here. Zimbabwe has a lot of nice people, they are hospitable people. This is why Belgium was one of the countries leading in the call to end sanctions on this country. Things started improving long back, even your elections were free and normal.”
Col Van Der Donckt is a Belgian military attaché accredited to Zimbabwe but based in South Africa.
ZMA Commandant, Col Phillip Kupe, said the military attaches’ visit was meant to help forge a common approach in military assignments regionally and globally.
He said most countries had a lot to learn from Zimbabwe’s training methods as the army had managed to promote gender equity and balance in its recruitment programme.
Said Col Kupe:
“It is important they know our training methods. We have gender equity and most countries cannot train females together with males.
“They feel women should be trained separately but we expose both sexes to the same training programme. We recruit our students from the countries in the region.
“We also have some of our students who are being trained in countries like Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa. These unique training programmes are meant to build inter-operability. We want to know each other better. Our concepts should be in harmony.”
Col Kupe said the tour of the country’s mining, manufacturing and tourism sectors was meant to allow other countries to witness that Zimbabwe’s economy was functional.
He said the delegation witnessed first-hand that there was work taking place in various economic sectors.
“The delegation first received a detailed explanation of the indigenisation programme. They saw some Chinese at work. We want them to see that Zimbabwe is not at a standstill,” said Col Kupe.
Online Reporter